The 26-year-old averages 25 with the ball at home but cannot be compared with England leading wicket-taker Anderson, according to Rob Key.

When naming his combined Ashes XI, the former England batsman told Sky Sports: ‘Two of the best bowlers England have ever had [Anderson and Stuart Broad] and the best new-ball pairing in world cricket at the moment.

Ashes schedule - the key dates

First Test: November 23-27 (Brisbane)

Second Test: December 2-6 (Adelaide)

Third Test: December 14-18 (Perth)

Fourth Test: December 25-29 (Melbourne)

Fifth Test: January 3-7 (Sydney)

‘You just can’t leave of these two out, they would arguably get into England’s best ever XI, let alone a combined England-Australia XI for this year.

‘In a way, Josh Hazlewood is a poor man’s Anderson so I don’t see the point in picking a poor man’s Anderson when you’ve got the Jimmy Anderson.’

James Anderson passed 500 Test wickets last summer (Picture: Getty)

In a side that is dominated by England players, Key sided with left-armer Starc over Chris Woakes, saying: ‘Starc gives you that extra bit of pace and he just gets in ahead of Woakes because he is quicker.

‘It isn’t so much the fact he is a left-armer, it is the out and out pace that he has. Starc is something different and he has more variation but Woakes is unlucky to miss out.’

Ben Stokes, who also features in Key’s XI, will play no part in the opening Ashes Test at the Gabba and Jake Ball appears to be the man to replace England’s vice-captain.

Ball suffered an ankle injury during a warm-up match in Adelaide earlier in the month but is fit and raring to go as the team arrived in Brisbane this week.

The first Ashes Test takes place on Thursday at the Gabba (Picture: Getty)